Surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the surface of the Earth and such information is often used for purposes such as establishing boundaries of land ownership.
To accomplish their objective, surveyors use elements of well know principles of mathematics (especially trigonometry and geometry) and a plurality of tools. More specifically, land surveyors often use two common tools when measuring property corners: A magnetic locator to search for property corner monuments buried beneath the surface of the ground, and, a separate rod, that when held plumb, allows electronic and/or Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements to take place.
There are prior art magnetic locators and surveyor's rods on the market that work well for their limited purposes. However, there are no known prior art tools that provide both functions with one tool.
What is needed is a tool that combines the features of providing magnetic location and measurements to allow a surveyor to work much more efficiently than the current practice of purchasing two or three tools and hiring one extra crew member to carry one of the tools during the normal procedure of a field property survey, requiring numerous searches, finding of property corner monuments, then making the measurement either with a remote electronic measuring device making observations to a rod with a prism attached to the top or making GPS measurements with a rod with GPS antennae attached.
Disclosed herein is an apparatus called a “MAGROD” that allows a surveyor to purchase just one tool that performs a metal detector function, a prism rod function and a GPS function. At any time, the surveyor may use the “MAGROD” only as a magnetic locator, or only as a prism rod, or only as a GPS rod.
Conversely, Land surveyors commonly walk along property lines they are locating, carrying their equipment from point to point.